Low-budget films worth a million laughs (2)

Budgeted at 36 million yuan, it set a box office record of 1.2 billion yuan since it was released on December 12. It surpassed all Hollywood blockbusters shown in China except for "Avatar."

The film was the directorial debut of comic actor Xu Zheng, who also stars in the film. The team was so concerned it would flop that they orchestrated media hype involving one actor's love affair to pique audience interest.

Astonishing success

Its success astonished everyone and already much has been written about it.

"Lost in Thailand" is a wacky road movie about two Chinese businessmen racing each other to find their boss in a remote monastery in northern Thailand to win approval of their rival plans to develop Super Gas.

Thailand is a favorite tourist destination for Chinese and they encounter a Chinese pancake salesman, who is a kind of everyman tourist. They encounter Thai kickboxers, traffic, a snake and other Thailand fixtures.

There's lots of slapstick humor and action, and a joke about "ladyboys" when they mistake a pretty girl in an elevator for a transvestite, not knowing she speaks Chinese.

"The movie is accessible almost to everybody since it has a low entry threshold for understanding and appreciation," says Huang Min, an official with the Ever Shining Circuit Cinema Chain.

Some film experts criticize the critics of low-brow films, calling them elitist and out of touch.

"Both the film and 'Bring Happiness Home' show a typical taste of the general public - who love humor, fun and easy-to-understand plot," Huang says.

The films simply offer release at the end of the year.

IT professional Kevin Zheng says, "After a whole year's hard work, I just want to see a funny film," referring to "Lost in Thailand." "It seemed like the only comedy shown last month. It didn't have heavy themes or convey depth and meaning. That's simply all I want."

He and his friends chat on their microblogs about the film and its funny lines.

The light-hearted fare competed with Feng Xiaogang's disaster film "Back To 1942," which grossed around 300 million yuan; Ang Lee's "Life of Pi," which grossed 570 million yuan; and Lu Chuan's "The Last Supper," which grossed 500 million nationwide.

This is the age of small-budget movies, according to film professionals, and they are no longer the exclusive preserve of professionals and film academy graduates. And, in contrast with "Lost" and "Happiness," there's also potential for excellence.